parsons



2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. J. PARSONS.

GUSPIDOR.

N0. 424,816. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

@194 tmmo dwa/wz 920% NITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JOHN J. PARSONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CUSPIDOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,816, dated April 1, 1890.

Application filed March 21, 1889. Serial No. 304,128. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, JOHN J. PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Juspidors, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the aceompanyin g drawings,

forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a cuspidor, spittoon, or refuse-receptacle composed of two separable parts, one partth.e vessel proper-being a sheet of inexpensive material folded to form for temporary use to be thrown away when soiled, the other part-the holder or frame for seating the vessel and retaining it in form being a permanent feature of the device that may be used a number of times.

The invention consists in the novel and peculiar constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the several parts of the device, all as hereinafter described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated it in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe the best form thereof so far devised by me, with the knowledge, however, that the same may be variously modified without making a substantial departure from the spirit of my invention.

In the said drawings, in which like numbers of reference designate like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cuspidor made after the manner of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse central section taken on a plane indicated by line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank sheet from which the vessel or receptacle of the improved cuspidor is folded to form.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates my improved blank sheet or form from which the vessel proper of the cuspidor is folded into shape. This blank is made of a flexible inexpensive material-for instance, paper that is preferably rendered both fire and Water proof, so as to prevent possible ignition thereof The blank is cut to form and is provided with guide lines or creases, as indicated by the dotted-in lines in Fig. 3, for determining the folds to be made in the blank in forming up the same into the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The blank may be cut from the stock by means of a suitable die, which is provided with creasing-edges for marking or indenting the blank at the same time it is cut out. Of the spaces or portions marked off by the crease lines in the blank sheet, the space (3 forms the bottom 7 7 7 7, the sides 8 8, &c., the gores intermediate the sides, and 9 9 1.0 10 the flaps or sections for forming the sloping apron 11, having opening 12 when the sheet is folded into the shape of a vessel, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As clearly indicated in the drawings, in forming up the vessel from the sheet the sides 7 7 are upsetobliquely, so as to be downwardly converging, and they meet on the lines 13 13, and the gores 8 S, &c., fold to the inside of the vessel. These gores need not necessarily be clamped together like a plait or fastened to the sides of the vessel, in order to main tain the sides in position, since this is accomplished by means of an appropriate frame, to be hereinafter described.

The bowl of the vessel thus formed is partly covered or screened by the inwardly and downwardly inclined apron or shield 11, the purpose of which is to conceal the expecterated matter or refuse deposited in the vessel. This apron overhangs the vessel and has a central opening 12, leading into the interior thereof, and toward which the sides of the apron are downwardly inclined, so as to cause any matter falling thereon to run into the vessel through opening 12.

The especial novelty in the blank sheet lies in the peculiar construction of the apron-forming flaps 9 and 10 and their relation to the body of the sheet, as will now be described. The apron 11 is made up of the set of flaps 9 and 10, which are folded over from the sides 7 7 into the interior of the vessel and are so cut and constructed as to interlock with each other and hold the apron in form when the vessel is folded up. The corners of the flaps 9 9 are notched, as at 15 15, leaving an intermediate portion 16. The ends of the flaps 1O 10 are formed with the tongues 17 17. It is ICO to be observed that the basal lines of the flaps upon which they are folded are equal, while the side lines 14 14 of the flaps 9 are less inclined toward each other than those of the flaps 10, while in the outlines of the edges of the blank the angles 18 and 19 lying between the gores 8 8, &c., and the flaps 9 and 10 are unequal. It is not necessary to have the angles 18 and 19 formed as shown; but it is preferable, because ample overlapping, surfaces are thereby provided. The flaps 9 and 10 alternate in arrangement, and the number of the same may be varied, as desired.

By forming the flaps 9 with the corner or side notches 15 15 and the flaps 10 10 with the tongues 17 17 and giving the peculiar inclination to the sides 14 14 of the respective flaps I secure the necessary lateral extensions or projections for effecting the interlocking of the same. In flaps 9 such lateral overlapping extensions are found in the area included between the edges and imaginary lines running from the forks of notches 15 15 to angles 18, and in flaps 10 these extensions are the triangular corners of the tongues 17 17, formed by the imaginary extension of lines 14 14 across the tongues. These referredto lateral extensions or projections of the flaps are marked 20 and 21, respectively, in the drawings, and their exact locations will be readily understood from Figs. 1 and 2. Each of these extensions overlap upon the under side or face of its adjacent interlocking flap.

hen the blank is folded to form the side, lines or edges 14 14 of flaps 1O coincide with the imaginary lines drawn from the forks of notches 15 15 to the angles 18, before described, and the side lines of portions 16 coincide with the imaginary extensions of lines 14 14 across tongues 17 17 of flaps 10. This gives practically straight meeting lines 22 (see Fig.1) for the flaps, and as these lines present the only break in the upper face or surface of the apron 11 a desirable advantage is thereby obtained, since no projections are offered that might catch and hold the filth.

As the tendency of the sides 7 7 is to spring outwardly and the apron flaps or sections 9 10 to spring upwardly, the peculiar overlapping extensions of the same and the manner in which they interlock render the flaps selflocking and self-sustaining so long as the sides 7 7 are held in their positions. The extension 20 resists any downward movement of the flaps and the extension 21 opposes anyupward movement thereof, so that by virtue of the novel interlocking of parts the apron will be stoutly maintained in operative position. If preferred, the overlapping portions 20 and 21 may be secured to the flaps to hold the vessel in folded form, and in this construction it may be used without a supporting or retaining frame. The blank sheet is preferably made in a single piece, though not necessarily so.

The folded vessel is seated in a rigid frame 23, made, preferably, of metal, though any "afford a larger resting surface.

No claim is here made for a folded cuspidor or vessel for temporary use, combined with a frame with inclined sides and an open bottom to expose the bottom of the vessel, whereby said bottom may be pushed upon to eject the vessel from the top of the frame, since such forms part of my pending application, Serial No. 287,959.

An important office of the frame or holder 23 in the present construction is to so susmm the folded-up vessel as to hold the apronforming flaps locked, thereby sustaining the apron in position against easy displacement.

The operation of putting together the cuspidor and replacing the vessel thereof when soiled will be readily understood. The vessel is folded to form from the blank sheet 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is then seated in the frame 23, which holds the sides 7 7 in position. The flaps 9 and 10 may be interlocked before or after seating the Vessel. An

easy way of interlocking them is to first depress fiaps 9 9 into position, then depress flaps 10, and snap the corners 21 thereof into notches 15 15 of flaps 9. The stiffness of the material of the folded vessel gives it a tendency to unfold; but while the sides 7 7" are held in true position this cannot occur. I11

replacing the vessel when filthy the frame may be grasped by one hand and the bottom of the vessel pushed upon to eject it. Anew vessel folded to form is then seated in the frame, which in this way constitutes a permanent part of the device.

The material of the folded vessel being a cheap paper or other material, it can be thrown away as soon as it becomes slightly soiled or odorous, and a clean new one substituted. As the blank sheets are made with guide-lines for folding, they can be kept in stock in a fiat condition, and thus take up the minimum of space. They can be made into form by an unskilled servant, and replaced by him in the frame. They are designed to take the place of the ordinary spittoon and slop-j ar, and are to be used on board ship forsea-siek persons.

If desired, the frame 23 may be provided with a suitable handle, by which the cuspidor can be conveniently lifted.

I do not herein claim the broad matter which is herein shown, and also shown in my application, Serial No. 287,959, filed October 12, 1888, for such matter is claimed in the latter application.

Having thus described my improvements in too cuspidors, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a euspidor, a set of flaps extending from the sides of the vessel and folded to form an apron having an opening leading into the interior of the vessel, the said flaps provided with lateral extensions appropriate to overlap the flaps upon the under sides thereof, so as to present no projections upon the upper face of the apron and to lock the flaps to maintain the apron in form, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a folded cuspidor, an inclined apron extending inwardly from the sides of the vessel and having an opening leading into the interior thereof, such apron formed by a set of interlocking flaps or sections folded from the sides of the vessel and formed one with lateral notches or shoulders and the next adjacent one formed with a tongue at its free end, and so on alternately,with the set of flaps, whereby when the flaps are folded into position they may interlock and form the apron of the euspidor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a cuspidor, a vessel folded to form and having an apron With an opening leading into the interior thereof and formed by flaps interlocked against upward or downward movement and extending from the sides of the vessel, combined with a frame for holding the sides in position, and thereby maintaining the apron-forming flaps locked together to form the apron, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a cuspidor, a vessel formed from a sheet folded into a bottom, sides extending upwardly therefrom, and flaps extending inwardly from thesides, the said flaps formed one with lateral notehesandthenextadjacentonewithatongue extending from the end thereof, and so on alternately with the set of flaps, said tongues and notches adapted to interlock when the flaps are folded into position and form the apron of the vessel, in combination with a frame for seating the vessel in and holding the flaps interlocked against displacement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a blank sheet for a folded cuspidor, the apron-forming flaps 9, having inclined sides and formed with the lateral notches 15 15, combined with the flaps 1O 10, formed with the inclined sides and the tongues 17 17, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A blank sheet for a folded cuspidor, comprising the bottom space 6,with sides 7 7 7 7 JOHN J. PARSONS. .[L. 3.]

Vitnesses:

PAUL F. C. TUCKER, WILLIs FOWLER. 

